Deworming My Pregnant Dog

There are several parasites that can affect dogs. These can cause serious health problems and even transmit diseases with a high mortality rate. Therefore, when a dog is pregnant, it is logical to ask if it is possible to apply some antiparasitic.

Dog caregivers often express doubts about the care of their companions, such as the aforementioned deworming. These questions increase when we are faced with delicate or simply different situations. Among these are old age, the first months of life, illness or pregnancy. in This article of AnimalWised we will discuss often asked questions on deworming your pregnant dog.

Common parasites in dogs

We can distinguish parasites that affect dogs into two groups, known as:

External parasites: fleas, ticks or lice, which can present themselves in different stages of a dogs life. Generally they do not cause serious disorders, but in sick, weakened or stressed animals, these parasites are capable of causing havoc. These external parasites are also capable of activating dormant larvae. To make matters worse, fleas can transmit other parasites such as tapeworms. Ticks are responsible for inoculating parasites causing diseases as serious as babesiosis, which is potentially fatal. There are multiple preventive products in the market to control the presence of these parasites. These products can be bought in several different forms, such as pipettes, collars, sprayers or pills.

Internal parasites: are intestinal, pulmonary or cardiac parasites, such as tapeworms, strongyles or filaria. As with external parasites, they are normally not able to cause great damage but, as we mentioned, one must not lose sight of the animal's condition or the intensity of the infestation. As in the case of external parasites, there are several products on the market used to combat these unpleasant hosts. In the case of these parasites, these products do not offer a period of protection like that of external antiparasitics, but their use in the marked intervals (every 3-4 months) does contribute to the control of infestations.

It is important to keep both internal and external parasites at bay and, therefore, deworming is an essential action that we must incorporate into our dog's care routine. Then arises the question, can we deworm our pregnant dog?

Should i deworm my pregnant bitch?

The answer to the question of whether we can deworm our pregnant bitch is affirmative, you must. Moreover, not only is it due, but it is recommended to protect her and the gestating puppies. That said, it is important to know that, before deworming our pregnant bitch, we have to consult our veterinarian, because not all the products we use for this purpose are advisable during pregnancy. Some products could harm the integrity of the puppies. We recommend always asking your veterinarian which is the best antiparasitic for a pregnant bitch and how to administer it safely to the expectant mother.

Therefore, even though we might already have products at home that we have previously used, during pregnancy it is mandatory to confirm with your veterinarian that their use is appropriate for the condition of your dog.

When to deworm a pregnant bitch?

Now that we known that we can deworm a pregnant bitch, in this section we will detail when it is recommended to do.This is not only for the benefit of the expecting more, but also for her puppies. The guidelines to follow are the following:

Maintain usual external deworming, confirming with your veterinarian that the product you have is suitable.

If we are going to breed our dog ,one must deworm it, regardless of when last it has been dewormed. (Before breeding, we must remember that there are many dogs in the world without homes before bringing new puppies into the world).

During the last two weeks at the end of the pregnancy, you have to deworm your dog again. With this last administration we intend to protect the puppies from intestinal worms. Despite this, the puppies are likely to be born infected, so it is also important to start your deworming calendar from 15 days of age. It is also recommended to deworm your dog during the lactation period. The puppies will be in contact with parasites present in the environment, but also through the placenta and the milk of their mother.

If your pregnant dog is already infected, it is vital to remeber that infestation can compromise its health and that of her puppies. In this situation you should go to a veterinarian immediately for information of how to deworm an already infested dog.

If you want to read similar articles to Deworming My Pregnant Dog, we recommend you visit our Gestation category.

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